Warthen has been friends with Rick Peterson for decades, but Warthen is about as similar in style to his offbeat predecessor as night and day.

Peterson spoke metaphysically of pitching quadrants and other vagaries. Blunt-talking Warthen believes in keeping it short, simple and direct

“I have my own ideas,” Warthen said before tonight’s series opener here with the Rockies. “I like a blue-collar staff, guys who pound the strike zone and go after people. If you’re going to give up hits, I want it done early.”

Warthen’s old-school approach is one of the reasons Manuel wanted him on his staff after replacing Willie Randolph earlier this week, even though Manuel admitted he didn’t know Warthen all that well personally.

What Manuel did know was how impressed he was by watching Warthen’s staff in Detroit during the 2000 season and with what Manuel saw from the young pitchers tutored by Warthen in the Mets’ system in recent years.

Those factors made Warthen’s elevation from pitching coach at the Mets’ Triple-A New Orleans affiliate to the majors a natural in Manuel’s mind when it came time to assemble his own crew of coaches.

“I had great respect for Dan even when he was with the Detroit Tigers,” said Manuel, who watched Warthen then as manager of the White Sox. “My first year with the Mets [in 2005], we also had a lot of guys called up from Triple-A that I noticed a significant difference in.”

Warthen, 55, has a lengthy track record in the big leagues, having spent time as pitching coach for the Tigers (1999-2002), Padres (1996-97) and Mariners (1992) before joining the Mets’ system five years ago.

Warthen left in 2006 to serve as the Dodgers’ bullpen coach under Grady Little for the past two seasons, but the Mets quickly brought Warthen back to their system when Little was replaced by Joe Torre in the offseason.

The Mets jumped on Warthen then promoted him this week at Manuel’s urging because they like his direct approach with pitchers and the fact he doesn’t believe in babying them with low pitch counts.

Randolph already had changed direction from Peterson in recent weeks in favor of raising the pitch counts of young starters Oliver Perez, John Maine and Mike Pelfrey. Rest assured that will continue under Manuel and Warthen.

“We’re so far in it now that it’s going to take some time to create that change and create that mindset with the people we have,” Manuel said. “Hopefully we can do better because I do believe that you should pitch seven, eight innings, 120, 130 pitches.”

Manuel wants to stay within reason, though.

“We’ve got to make sure that we’re careful with it and we don’t fall into the trap of maybe injuring some arms and damaging some things,” he said. “But I would really rather see a guy get the ball and say, ‘Don’t take it from me until the game is over.’ “

Warthen wants to see the same thing, despite having little personal familiarity with the Mets’ staff aside from coaching Pelfrey and reliever Aaron Heilman in the minor leagues.

Unlike Peterson, Warthen also wants his pitchers to develop their own regimen and philosophy instead of conforming to his.

“I’m not into cloning,” said Warthen, a former big-league pitcher himself with the Expos, Phillies and Astros in the 1970s. “I don’t think everybody should pitch from the same side of the rubber or throw the same number of pitches. I like guys to have some variety.”